Fate's Price
by CheeseyCraziness
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran made a vital choice ten years ago, but what they gave up out of necessity still hurts. Both fluffy and angsty, crossover CCS/TSR, MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TSR CHAPTER 189!


If you have not read Chapter 189 of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle yet, DO NOT READ THIS! BIG TIME SPOILER! Understood? Good.

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.o0o.

Emerald eyes opened slowly. A woman awoke from a dream, and sighed, a wistful smile spreading over her lips. She glanced over at the clock to the side of the bed, and laughed quietly.

"He let me sleep in," she muttered to herself, amused. "Well, I do need it, I suppose."

Sakura rose from her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. With a cheerful, almost childish smile, she dressed and left the elegant bedroom, walking swiftly to the training yard with a little bounce in her step. Even the harsh years and trials she'd been through over and over had not erased her optimism and energy – though at least she wasn't as dense.

Once there, she decided to conceal herself, and watched her husband practice with a smile. By now she could do just about everything he knew how to do. She'd memorized all of his little drills with his sword and in martial arts, and used quite a few of those techniques when necessary. It didn't take away any of the dazzled joy of watching him fluidly and quickly move around. Particularly on hot nearly-summer days like this one, when he took his shirt off.

After watching for a few minutes, she lifted a single hand, and concentrated slightly. Then she laughed hard when her husband tripped over his own feet trying to escape the sudden appearance of the Snow card, which had created a mini-blizzard around him.

He glared at her, wiping the snow off of his face with one hand. "Did you have to interrupt?"

"Definitely, Syaoran," replied Sakura, approaching with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "It's just too much fun. It's not like you haven't perfected that one part three hundred times over, anyway, so I don't see why you're complaining about getting a little cool off."

"Well, now I'm too cold!" he said with a scowl, almost whining.

"Easily remedied," Sakura said cheerfully. Ignoring the sudden chill of the slowly melting snow against her body, she yanked Syaoran towards her for a fiery kiss, which he gladly accepted. Years of being together hadn't dulled their love in the least.

When they (finally) broke apart, Syaoran was smiling rather than scowling. "Good enough. You're right, I have it perfect anyway. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. Don't worry; I didn't have any important dreams! But just because it happens to be May 24th, doesn't mean you shouldn't wake me up! I thought I made that clear years ago!"

"You tired yourself out, and you know it."

"So did you!"

"Maybe, but I'm not as tired as you are!"

"Oh, so since I'm the girl, I'm weaker?"

"I never said that. What I did say is that I care too much to let you wear yourself down."

"Oh, can't you stop flirting for two seconds? What would the Li Elders say if they knew their precious leaders acted like love-struck teenagers behind their backs?" groaned a voice at the entrance.

Sakura and Syaoran turned sheepishly to Meiling and shrugged. "Sorry."

"Nadeshiko sent me to get you. She was worried that you two would be getting too intimate for her innocent little eyes, so she didn't want to come." Meiling smirked and waved. "I'll be going now. I hope you decide to come back inside, and I don't mean to your bedroom." Meiling left.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura muttered, "Nadeshiko knows us too well."

"Her innocent little eyes aren't all that innocent either. She thinks she can have her fun without us noticing?"

"She's fifteen now. Don't be a hypocrite and scold her based on age. Not when you know how innocent we weren't," Sakura scolded him, laughing. A moment later, she stopped laughing, and sighed with sad eyes.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked her seriously.

She nodded, and tried a small smile. "I'll be fine for now. But later…"

"I know. Let's go see what that outspoken daughter of ours wants."

.o0o.

Sunset found Sakura and Syaoran sitting on a rock, with the waves of the ocean crashing in their ears and spraying near their eyes.

One of Sakura's hands was held in one of Syaoran's. The other hand was stretched out in front of her, with her palm facing up.

A small ball of pink light appeared above her hand, and then it stretched. Syaoran simply watched and gave Sakura some of his own magical energy to help her sustain the spell. Sakura stared at the ball of light, watching a magical vision unfold before her eyes.

Minutes passed, and at last the ball of light faded away. Sakura closed her eyes, breathing deeply, released from her focus.

"It's almost over," she whispered. "I'm so glad that it's almost over. It's all going to end soon. He's in Clow country again, with his traveling companions to back him up. They're going to end it. It won't be long now."

"I'm glad," Syaoran replied, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Syaoran, it's been ten years. Ten years, and never once have I been able to see and speak with my own son," she sobbed suddenly, turning to Syaoran and burying her face in his chest. His arms immediately wrapped around her and held her upright as she wept. Syaoran, to his dismay, found that tears of his own were sliding down his cheeks as well. "He's been through so much heartbreak in his lifetime, and I haven't been there to help. I don't even know whether or not fate will allow him to live through this. It's entirely up to him. But no matter what, he has to feel immense pain, and I can't do a thing about it."

"I know, Sakura, I know," Syaoran replied quietly. "We have to trust him. He's strong. He'll get through it. When it's all over with, we can see him again, as promised."

"I understand… I just wish it didn't have to be this way, Syaoran. It hurts so much."

"We all wish that, but there's nothing we can do. It's up to him. We're doing what's necessary, Sakura, what we need to do."

She just sobbed on, and Syaoran cried as well. The barrier blocking the ocean had fallen long ago, and now their fine clothes were ruined by the saltwater, but neither cared. If not the water, then their tears would have already ruined them. Together they mourned time lost and the hardship of being separated from family you hold close to your heart.

.o0o.

Watching, Yuuko sighed. "She never needed that Star Wand. It was a mere formality for using her magic. But I took that as a price, and accepted it." A rare glimpse of sadness flashed in the Dimensional Witch's eyes. "Her sorrow pays the price even more."

"And now, at last, the dream will end," she murmured, her eyes resting on the image of a young boy with determination in his eyes. Their son.

.o0o.

These are my thoughts on the other side of recent events in TSR, assuming that the Sakura and Syaoran spoken of in Chapter 189 are the ones we know and love from CCS. Thank you! Please review!


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